Gaskets are well-known devices used for connecting two structures together in a fluid tight manner. Openings may be located in a gasket to permit fluid to pass from the first structure to the second structure through the gasket. The gasket may also have openings for receiving mechanical fasteners that permit the gasket to be secured to the first structure and the second structure.
The openings through which fluid passes from the first structure to the second structure are sealed by resilient sealing elements, e.g. beads or sealing elements from elastomer, the latter only being applicable below particular temperatures. Sealing can thus be achieved individually for each opening as is usually the case for combustion gas openings or jointly for several openings as is often the case for other through openings. At least for the combustion gas openings, the sealing beads are often accompanied by a bead deformation limiter which restricts the load deflection of the bead. However, this bead deformation limiter often causes a deformation of the structures to be sealed, especially if they contain regions of varying rigidity. Apart from the latter, it is the edge regions and the regions of the fastener through-openings that are especially exposed to the danger of deformation.
Various prior art devices exist to smoothen the distribution of the forces over the area of the gasket and try to take into account the varying rigidities of the structures to be sealed. These devices, however, suffer from failing to effectively function as a seal and/or to be efficiently and cost-effectively produced. Thus, it would be advantageous to have a gasket that effectively functioned as a seal and simultaneously prevented deformations in the structures to be sealed, especially in the region of the fastener through-openings and near the edges of the gasket.